Friday morning marked the debut of Ollie’s European Market at 363 First St., with a line of eager patrons ready to experience the European offerings prepared by the new establishment.
Co-owner Steffen Spiess told the Sun he and his fiancée, Kendra Rudneski, along with his family decided to open the restaurant as a tribute to their roots in the culinary world, specifically their decades-long family tradition in German cuisine.
“This new venture holds sentimental value for me. My grandmother and aunt once operated the beloved Hansel & Gretel Schnitzel House from the very same building,” he said in an interview on Friday.
“We are taking over from where we learned everything. My family’s been doing restaurants for 50 years. We also owned a German restaurant in Wawanesa, cementing our place in the local restaurant history.”
Brandon’s tight-knit community is a perfect place for the business, he said, the people “here love to support local, and we’re excited to offer something different that also resonates with older generations who grew up with this style of food.”
The centrepiece of Ollie’s menu, Spiess said, is the Schnitzel Platter — a “legendary dish” in his family for 35 years. Known for its generous portions (two to eight servings), the platter has returned after a five-year hiatus, drawing in customers who fondly remember its hearty taste. Alongside the platter, Ollie’s offers an array of European items, from traditional bratwurst to sauerkraut and goulash soup, ensuring there’s something for everyone, he said.
Ollie’s offers more than just sit-down meals, Spiess added, the restaurant aims to accommodate busy schedules with grab-and-go options and European grocery items for those missing a taste of home.
“Seasonal holiday items, such as Christmas Stollen, also line the shelves, and the market will adapt its inventory to meet customer demand over time,” he said.
Spiess explained Ollie’s European Market brings a nostalgic culinary experience, merging Brandon’s local culture with a European twist, adding with family ties to the city and a dedication to quality, his family is excited to “revive these traditional flavours, providing Brandon with a unique dining destination rooted in history.”
Jim Mjegovam, a resident of nearby Lions Manor, said he was among the first to savour Ollie’s fare.
“The food was great. I had the bratwurst on a bun with sauerkraut, and my wife, Bernadette, enjoyed the goulash soup,” he told the Sun.
Bernadette said they also discovered Christmas stollen, a traditional German Christmas cake, which they found “challenging to locate elsewhere.”
“It’s very special and lovely,” Bernadette said. “We live next door, so we just walk over and have a nice bowl of homemade soup.”
For Spiess, opening Ollie’s European Market was not without its hurdles.
“It’s a tough business, especially when you’re trying to secure imported items. It took a lot of research and hard work to track everything down,” he said.
“With a building as old as this one — it’s been here since the 1920s — we faced a fair share of challenges. But it’s been a valuable learning experience, and we’re incredibly grateful to finally be open.”
The building itself has been a longstanding culinary site. After Hansel & Gretel Schnitzel House, a German restaurant, closed in October 2020 due to the owner’s health concerns, it briefly hosted Los Brothers Street Food until October 2022, followed by Robyn’s Lechon, a Filipino restaurant, which opened in 2022.
Ollie’s European Market is currently open five days a week, from Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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